Katie McDonald Scholarship

UPS for DownS
Katie MacDonald Memorial Scholarships

UPS for Downs is proud to announce the 2008 recipients of the Katie MacDonald Memorial Scholarships.

2008 is the inaugural year for the scholarships which will be awarded annually on behalf of the UPS for DownS Katie MacDonald Literacy Program and the “Angel Run” Marathon Teams. The scholarships are an exciting opportunity for UPS for DownS to give exceptional young people in our community assistance in pursuing their life goals.

The first scholarship, which is awarded to an individual with Down syndrome who is pursuing educational opportunities beyond high school, is granted to Garrett Anderson. Garrett is an outstanding young man and a graduate of Lake Zurich High School. He will be awarded a $2,500 scholarship to assist him in attending Eastern New Mexico University to pursue his goal of becoming an early childhood teacher.

The second scholarship, which is awarded to an individual who is pursuing post secondary education in a disability related field, is granted to Ronald Lampen. Ron established himself as a proven leader while attending Palatine High School. He will be awarded a $2,500 scholarship to assist him in pursuing his goal of a degree in Special Education at Illinois State University.

There were many deserving and qualified applicants who submitted applications. On behalf of everyone at UPS for DownS we wish to thank them and encourage them to reapply in future years.

We would like express our sincere thanks to the members of the 2008 Scholarship Selection Committee:

Nancy MacDonald - Co-Founder of the Angel Run Marathon Team and Katie's Mother
Jim Uggla - Co-Founder of the Angel Run Marathon Team and Katie's Step-Father
Marge Connelly - Schaumburg Village Board Trustee
Eileen Daday - Correspondent for the Daily Herald
Julie Nowak - High School District 211 - Assistant Director of Special Education

Congratulations to our 2008 scholarship recipients.

Sincerely,

Mike Reninger and Sandy Pazerunas, Co-Chairs

Katie MacDonald

Katie MacDonald was a young woman with Down syndrome who was a shining example of hope and independence for those with Down syndrome. Katie’s ability to read and love of reading was an important source of her independence. Katie died suddenly at age 29.

Katie was born in 1973 at a time when attitudes about people with disabilities were beginning to change. Her mom says, "We took her home from the hospital and tried to treat her like we would any child. We were fortunate that she had a great interest in books and began reading at an early age. Her love of reading opened many doors for her. Reading increased her knowledge on many topics and certainly increased her vocabulary. That, in turn, improved her ability to speak and converse on a variety of issues. As a result, she gained great self-confidence and excelled in presenting herself to others. She made numerous speaking engagements in front of large groups as well as appearing in videos and on television. People recognized her extraordinary success and she empowered others to try harder. For parents of individuals with Down syndrome, she offered hope."